1. Field of the Invention
This application is directed to the general field of material handling and storage systems and more particularly to such systems wherein vertical stacks or columns of storage bins are laid out in generally parallel rows that are generally equally spaced by isles that are of generally equal width and of a size to permit one or more movable elevators to be positively guided in vertical movement between two adjacent and facing rows of storage bins. In some embodiments of the invention, the elevators are suspended from overhead carriers that are free to travel relative to any vertical stack of storage bins along an overhead grid track system that is vertically spaced above the storage bins such that when the elevators are raised to adjacent their respective carriers, the carriers and elevators may be maneuvered throughout the grid track system. In other embodiments, the elevators may be independently movable under their own power and have sets of drive sprockets or gears that permit the elevators to ascend and descend the vertical stacks or columns of storage bins by engaging with toothed racks or chain elements that are disposed on opposite sides of each of the vertical stacks or columns of storage bins. In these other embodiments of the invention, the elevators may be selective attached for transport by the overhead carriers or detached for independent travel. In each embodiment, the elevators are provided with self-loading and off-loading pallet transfer mechanisms that are operative to either pull pallets from a storage bin or move pallets into a storage bin.
2. Brief Description of the Related Art
A need for storage space is often an issue for many people, governments and businesses. Whether it be people living in small urban units, such as apartments and condominiums, people downsizing to smaller homes, such as for retirement, businesses generating stacks of papers and files, or the need to warehouse goods for retail, wholesale businesses, or future use, storage solutions are in demand.
Conventional storage facilities typically include a plurality of individual storage units, such as garages, rooms, stacked shelves, bins or lockers, that are housed within a static structure, such as a building or warehouse. In order to use many such facilities, customers, businesses and government agencies must transport items to be stored to and from loading or docking areas where items are transferred to the storage rooms, shelves or bins. Conventional large or bulk items are placed on pallets that are moved to and from storage areas by way of hand trucks, cranes, forklifts or other vehicles. Thus, storage facilities have a lot of “dead space” that is taken up by aisles that must be sufficiently wide to permit maneuvering of transport vehicles.
In an attempt to mitigate against some of the problems associated with conventional offsite storage facilities, other forms of storage have been developed, including storage containers that are delivered to a location designated by a customer. The customer then loads the items to be stored in such containers, and the containers are picked up and stored in an offsite facility. While this type of storage system eliminates the hassles associated with transporting items to be stored to a storage facility, these systems still suffer from “dead space” problem and therefore do not maximize storage space. After a storage container is loaded, picked up from the customer's location, and delivered to an offsite facility, heavy equipment such as, fork lifts, cranes, vehicles, and the like are used to move the containers into storage areas. The use of this heavy equipment requires a large amount of “dead space,” such as wide aisles, to enable the storage containers to be maneuvered into storage spaces.
In addition, with the ever increasing costs of real estate, there is a need to optimize the storage capacity of any facility that is to be used for the long or short term housing or storage of goods.